Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 475: Chapter 480 Traveling with the Old Madman

Moonlight shrouded him, his towering figure with hair flying, and empty eyes flickering, but his face was hidden.

The earth-yellow hand reached forward, causing the bristles of the Black Dog’s fur to stand on end, because the pitiful little girl was seated on its back.

Ye Fan, realizing the danger, swiftly stepped forward to block. Even though he knew he couldn’t win, he didn’t want the pitiful little girl to be harmed. A sword cried out—CLANG! The Dragon Pattern Black Gold Sacred Spirit Sword was drawn and slashed down.

CLANG!

The earth-yellow hand didn’t dodge at all but reached straight forward. The black Holy Sword struck a finger, sparks flew, but it didn’t slash through.

This was truly terrifying. The black Holy Sword was indestructible, yet unable to cut a finger. It was impossible to imagine how the opponent had refined their body to reach such a Realm.

BUZZ!

Ye Fan swung his golden fist and smashed against it. His physical body was incomparable, channeling his strongest Blood Qi, battling the large hand with force.

BOOM!

It was like beating a divine drum, creating a heavy reverberation between the two. Ye Fan staggered back, his arm numbed; even the powerful sacred body struggled against that large hand.

It slowly yet powerfully reached forward, its trajectory impossible to alter by even a fraction. This outcome left Ye Fan in awe; his strong sacred body was being suppressed by sheer force for the first time.

Moreover, the opponent was so casual, not even focusing on him, allowing him to land a heavy blow with his golden fist.

WOOF!

The Black Dog was anxious. It summoned the black mysterious jade platform, intending to traverse the void and escape.

SWISH! With a flash of light, they vanished. Yet, the large hand merely pressed lightly in the void. BOOM! It immediately collapsed the realm of nothingness, shaking them out.

It was a terrifying scene. The earth-yellow hand penetrated the crumbling void and enveloped them. The frightening energy turbulence was completely stilled.

The boundless Power of Nothingness couldn’t harm them one bit; the earth-yellow hand extracted the Black Emperor and the pitiful little girl from the void.

WOOF! The Black Dog barked wildly.

“Oh dear…” The pitiful little girl was nearly in tears from fear.

Ye Fan desperately charged forward, his golden hand striking once more, trying to save them, but it couldn’t budge the hand at all!

At this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, like an ant trying to shake a tree. He was filled with helplessness; this person was an Abyss beyond comprehension.

BANG!

The web of Ye Fan’s hand split open, and he was sent flying back several hundred yards, not by the opponent’s attack, but by the rebound force from his own strike on the large hand.

“What do you want?” Ye Fan feared he would harm the pitiful little girl.

Li Heishui also attacked, but his outcome was worse than Ye Fan’s. He was sent flying a thousand yards away, gnashing his teeth and repeatedly shaking his numb arm.

The night wind blew, lifting the hair of the towering man, revealing a dignified, bronze-colored face, a straight nose, a square mouth, and distinct contours.

Except for his hollow eyes, this was a truly imposing man, like an immortal god of battle that instilled awe.

“You are…” Ye Fan widened his eyes in astonishment, an incredulous look on his face. It turned out to be the old madman.

How had he become like this? Previously, his white hair was unruly, his body emaciated and frail, with murky eyes, crazed and deranged.

Yet now, he was completely transformed, with a robust physique and thick, full black hair. He was like a different person, as if he had gained ageless youth.

“What happened? Was it the transformation from last time?” Ye Fan was amazed, then loudly cried out, “Senior, do you remember me? You taught me the Merak Step Technique! What are you doing? Don’t harm the pitiful little girl!”

“He’s the old madman who has lived for six thousand years?!” Li Heishui’s mouth dropped open, his heart pounding with shock.

The old madman’s hollow eyes flickered with a gleam. He glanced at Ye Fan but said nothing. Instead, he tossed the Black Dog aside and held the pitiful little girl suspended in the void, observing her.

“Uncle, what are you doing?” the pitiful little girl asked timidly, involuntarily retreating.

At this moment, the old madman wore an immensely grave expression. His hollow eyes shot out Divine Light, dazzling like two golden lamps.

The Divine Radiance shone upon the pitiful little girl, instantly twisting the void around her as if it were about to collapse.

“Big brother, I’m scared…” The little girl’s voice was tinged with tears.

“Pitiful little girl, don’t be afraid. He won’t harm you…” Recognizing the old madman, Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief, believing the man wouldn’t be ruthless.

The old madman’s expression grew increasingly grave. His two thick, black, sword-like brows stood upright, and from the center of his brow, another beam of Divine Light shot out, falling upon the little girl.

The Black Dog was too frightened to make a sound, remaining as still as a cicada in winter. It sensed an unparalleled, terrifying pressure. It glanced at the pitiful little girl, then at the old madman, its heart filled with anxiety and worry.

SWISH! With a flash of light, the old madman and the pitiful little girl disappeared into the sky.

“Ah, where did they go?” Li Heishui blurted out.

“They must have entered the divine land of Celestial Jade!” Ye Fan stated solemnly.

“This is bad! This old madman’s strength is terrifyingly profound; even I, the Black Emperor, can’t gauge its depth. Could he be trying to seize the pitiful little girl’s Dao Fruit?!” The Black Emperor felt as if a hundred claws were scratching at his heart.

DING DONG!

Celestial music resonated from the sky. A Pure Land blossomed with light. Myriad auspicious radiances and billions of Divine Radiances sprinkled down, revealing a scene of splendor within.

The grass was lush and green, and the fragrance of Immortal Flowers was refreshing. Spiritual Springs welled up, gurgling, one after another, and petals fluttered in the sky like a dreamland.

However, on the ground of this Pure Land, vermillion coffins were spread everywhere, looking quite eerie.

This was the divine land of Celestial Jade, the last hidden place undiscovered by anyone. It might contain the ancient scriptures and supreme inheritance of Celestial Jade.

“AH…” The old madman let out a roar that shook rivers and mountains for thousands of miles. Besides the beasts in the myriad Great Mountains, even the Primordial Ancient Beasts in the neighboring Great Wilderness trembled.

A Divine Light shot into the sky, piercing the firmament as if to penetrate the boundless Starry Sky. He was like an ancient god.

The old azure robe on his body fluttered, and he stood tall with disheveled hair, his eyes flashing like cold lightning. His demeanor was terrifyingly imposing, vastly different from his usual appearance.

At the same time, the pitiful little girl closed her eyes. Her small hands were continuously forming Seals, mysterious and unfathomable, complex beyond comprehension.

“What happened?” Ye Fan was shocked.

“He’s discovered it! What do we do now?!” the Black Dog fretted, too agitated to stay still, hopping about anxiously.

SWISH!

The old madman’s eyes swept over them like two bolts of lightning, nearly causing Ye Fan’s and Li Heishui’s bodies to crumble. They were utterly terrified.

The old madman began to walk around the pitiful little girl, his eyes shining ever more brilliantly, as if trying to see through her completely. Notably, at the center of her brow, a god-like figure emerged, sitting cross-legged in the void with a solemn expression, staring at the little girl.

“This is no longer ancient times; the world has long since changed. How can such an unfathomably terrifying figure still be born?!” The Black Dog grew increasingly alarmed.

The god before the old madman’s brow seemed to be parting heaven and earth, inhaling and exhaling primal chaos. As it stared at the pitiful little girl, the divine land continuously expanded.

The pitiful little girl kept forming Seals. The Seven-Colored Little Stone at her brow became increasingly radiant but did not fall off. Instead, it melted into a small, seven-colored light dot, emanating a mysterious Qi Mechanism.

BOOM!

With a loud noise, the divine land closed, and the scene inside could no longer be seen.

Divine Doctor Wang was also alarmed. He rushed over, and after learning what had happened, he gasped and said, “Step back! Move far away from here.”

The group reluctantly retreated to a distance, but nothing bad happened afterward. In the dead of night, the divine land reappeared in the void. The pitiful little girl, drowsy, looked around and then walked out.

The little creature was unharmed. The only change was that the Seven-Colored Little Stone was now fused into her brow, no longer in danger of falling off, lending her an added Spiritual Qi.

The old madman emerged in the void, his eyes hollow once more, his expression blank. With a wave of his great sleeve, the entire divine land vanished.

The Black Dog caught the little girl, looking her over with suspicion and uncertainty. “He healed your hidden wounds…”

The Black Emperor turned to look at the tall figure in the void, murmuring to itself, “Indeed a man of great character. He didn’t seize the Dao Fruit but offered help instead.”

Ye Fan secretly transmitted his voice, “Thank you, Senior, for the grace of teaching me your art, and thank you for your help this time. I have no way to repay you, but I’ve learned of a place that might have the complete ‘Walking’ Rune Secret…”

In recent days, by consulting Divine Doctor Wang, he had indirectly learned that the ancient family in Li State in the northern region, which had obtained one of the Nine Secrets, very likely possessed the heart technique inheritance that was the Walking Rune Secret.

The Ancient Scroll left behind by that family pointed to the Holy Cliff, indicating that he would probably obtain the Walking Rune Secret there.

However, that place was no sanctuary; it was laid out with Great Emperor Array Patterns that had trapped even the Red Dragon Daoist for fifteen hundred years. Even the Black Dog had been muttering anxiously about it these past few days.

Now that he had met the old madman, he had gained a powerful ally. He wanted to invite him to go to the Holy Cliff together to seek the Nine Secrets, and also to consider it a way of repaying his kindness.

Sure enough, the old madman’s hollow eyes flickered with two rays of light, but they quickly vanished, and he gave no indication.

“The Walking Rune Secret is at the Holy Cliff!” Ye Fan transmitted, telling him the exact location. If the old madman was unwilling to go, so be it; he couldn’t force him.

Silently, the old madman vanished without a trace.

“That was a divine land, with the exclusive secrets of Celestial Jade! We actually saw it, but unfortunately, we couldn’t obtain anything.” Li Heishui was filled with regret.

“Pitiful little girl, how are you?” Ye Fan asked.

“I’m fine, Big Brother. I just feel like I can remember a lot more things now,” the little creature answered obediently, rubbing the small, seven-colored bright spot on her brow.

SWISH!

There was a flash of brilliance, and the old madman appeared again. His disheveled hair covered his face. He was following behind Ye Fan and the others, clearly intending to travel with them!

To think we’ve dug up such a god-like man! With him around, we could strut across the Eastern Wastelands! Li Heishui’s heart pounded, nearly leaping out of his chest. Though he was communicating this secretly via divine sense, the old madman seemed to hear it, giving him a glance.

Ye Fan and his group departed from the Merak Ruins, bidding farewell to Divine Doctor Wang. Their target was the Holy Cliff. It was a strange combination.

A large dog carrying a delicately carved little girl, a tall, middle-aged man with disheveled hair whose face was unseen, a dark-skinned brawny man, and a harmless, delicate-looking youth… they walked together, appearing quite odd.

Ye Fan did not let the Black Dog carve Dao Glyphs to traverse directly to the Holy Cliff, stating that he wanted to walk the path.

“Ye Hei, oh Ye Hei…” Li Heishui muttered, soon understanding Ye Fan’s intentions. Now that an invincible expert was by their side, directly traversing the void would be disrespectful to the old madman.

The Black Dog, too, was full of cunning thoughts, ready to borrow the tiger’s might. Now, with such a figure who had lived for six thousand years by their side, it decided to make full use of the situation.

“Ancient Assassin Divine Dynasty—Mortal World! Aren’t you famous for killing gods if they block your path and Buddhas if they obstruct you? Come on, if you dare!”

“And those Sacred Lands, any supreme Great Sects wanting to test us? Bring it on!”

“I really hope all those blind fools crash right into us!”

The Black Dog secretly reveled, its mood ecstatic. As soon as it left the Great Wilderness, it started eagerly greeting everyone it met, itching to provoke a few Sacred Lands immediately.